Monday, July 23, 2012

Al Michaels: Second and ten...Vick hands off to McCoy...Big hole here! 25....30....up to the 40! McCoy is finally taken down by number 91, Justin Tuck.

Chris Collinsworth (during the replay): Big time hustle here, Al. Tuck was all tangled up here with number 79, right tackle Todd Herremans, and he ran down the Eagles' fastest player from behind. Tuck doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit", Al. Uh-oh! Here's a flag!

Al Michaels: Let's get the call from Ed Hoculi.

Ed Hoculi: Holding, number 79 offense! 10 yard penalty, repeat second down. When New York takes possession, they too will be penalized 10 yards. Holding will no longer be tolerated by this officiating crew for the remainder of this game. We have to take a stand somehow.

Al Michaels: What the---(shuffling papers)----I'm stunned. I've never heard of such a call. Can we---Can we get the NFL---This makes no sense whatsoever. I'm speechless.

Chris Collinsworth: Well Al, Giants coach Tom Coughlin is NOT speechless. He's really tearing into Hoculi. I've never seen a human being turn bright purple before.

***

The above hypothetical seems pretty stupid, right ? After all, it was the Eagles who broke the rules, not the Giants. Common sense dictates that that the guilty party should be punished for their infraction. Even if you're not a football nut like I am, you would instantly recognize that the referee in the hypothetical, Ed Hochuli, was being grossly unfair to the Giants. In other words, it's a 2+2=4 situation for most folks.

Note that I said "most folks". There's one group that would think the above hypothetical is perfectly acceptable: Liberals, or as I like to call them, Those Without A Functioning Cerebral Cortex.

A great example of this is their calls for strict gun control in the wake of the "Batman" shooting in Colorado. Before the families of the victims had a chance to catch their breath, the liberal "intelligensia" sprung into action, demanding action. Imperial Senator Diane Frankenfeinstein (H/T Mark Levin) went on the FOX Neocon Channel (FNC) to run her fat mouth about the "Assault" Weapon Ban of the 90's. Michael Bloomturd (H/T Mark Levin) certainly didn't miss out on his chance to talk up the Police State on Deface the Nation, and neither did Deface the Nation's host, Bob Schieffer. Reliable RINO Bill Kristol also put his two cents in as well, calling himself a "squish" on gun control. Bill Moyers lived up to his billing as the World's Biggest Liberal Hack On The Public Dole and said that the NRA is an "enabler of death -- paranoid, delusional, and as venomous as a scorpion". (All five of his viewers were impressed by his poetic verse, I'm sure.) Needless to say, this Sunday's news shows were even more unwatchable than usual. All were using the same 2+2=5 logic that was used in the above hypothetical.

Ladies and gentlemen, I know you've heard this a thousand times before, but it's worth repeating a thousand more times: Gun control and gun laws only punish law-abiding citizens. Criminals, by their very nature, couldn't care less about the rule of law. They're simply going to get their guns on the street or wait around for another Fast and Furious-like screw up. It's that simple---and that deadly.

We the People can't let these morons continually spew their nonsense unchecked. The Right to Bear Arms is a precious gift from God Almighty Himself. Once it's gone, it will be gone forever. I don't know about you, but I don't think Those Without A Functioning Cerebral Cortex should be the sole arbiters of what is and what is not the correct method of protecting my family and my home. Just sayin'.

(PS---Ed Hochuli is one of the finest referees in the NFL. The only reason why I picked him for my hypothetical is the fact that he's probably the best known official in the NFL. Please Ed, whatever you do, don't hold this against my Giants.)

Saturday, July 21, 2012

"President Obama wished former South African president and civil rights crusader Nelson Mandela a happy 94th birthday, on a day that coincides with Nelson Mandela International Day.

'Nelson Mandela’s personal story is one of unbreakable will, unwavering integrity, and abiding humility. On a personal note, our family has been inspired by Madiba’s example, and has deeply appreciated the time we have spent with him, and his wisdom, grace and generosity of spirit. By any measure, Nelson Mandela has changed the arc of history, transforming his country, continent, and the world,' Obama said in a statement."

Well, to be perfectly blunt and honest, that's not exactly news. Many American presidents have paid tribute to the South African civil rights leader. That's nothing new. But with Chairman Obama and his questionable (to say the very, very least) background, one has to ask: Which Nelson Mandela did Barack Obama admire ? Was it the the civil rights leader who, along with FW de Klerk, helped end apartheid ? (Which was a creation of the South African mining unions to protect white workers from competition from black workers, by the way. In other words, South African unions have the same origin as "American" unions do.) Or, does he admire this Nelson Mandela:

***

"It is not given to a leader of one political organisation in a country to sing praises to the virtues of another. But that is what I intend to do today.

If anything, this signifies the unique relationship between the African National Congress and the South African Communist Party.

It is a relationship that has detractors in abundance; a relationship that has its prolific obituary scribes. But it is a relationship that always disappoints these experts. Because it was tempered in struggle. It is written in the blood of many martyrs. And, today, it is reinforced by hard-won victory.

On behalf of the African National Congress, I wish to thank you most profoundly for the invitation to take part in this the 9th Congress of the SACP. I bring you the organisation's greetings as well as my own. I should also apologise for not attending the opening of the Congress, due to unforeseen developments. "---Nelson Mandela in 1992

It's question that should be asked, consequences be damned. I know there will be some who scream racism at the top of their lungs for even daring to ask this question, but it's my recollection that our Dear Leader (in no particular order):

---had a father who was a communist. (Barack Obama Sr.)

---had a mother was a far left lunatic. (Stanley Ann Dunham)

---had a mentor figure that was a communist. (Frank Marshall Davis)

---has written about befriending Marxist professors. (Dreams From My Father)

---nationalized the health care, student loan, and the majority of the auto manufacturing industries.

Fair question, is it not ?

Here's an even better question, and yes, it's quite controversial, but what the hell: Did Commander Zero give a shout out to the Nelson Mandela who talked about racial harmony, or did he give a shout out to the Nelson Mandela who palled around with Jew haters like Yasser Arafat ? A reasonable question, when you consider the fact that Obama himself thinks it would be just ducky if Israel went back to its indefensible 1967 borders. Or maybe we should ask if Obama admires the Nelson Mandela who trained in Algerian terrorist camps, instead of the one who jibber-jabbered about peace. ( http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=759 ) Enquiring minds want to know since Obama welcomed members of the Muslim Brotherhood into the White House and the State of Confusion Department's Deputy Chief of Staff, Huma Abedin, has direct connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Perhaps Barry is a big fan of the Nelson Mandela who sings songs like "Kill the Farmer, Shoot the Boer". (The fight song of the African National Congress.) After all, Comrade Obama has made it abundantly clear he's not a big fan of whites. He:

---Stopped telling others that his mother was white. (Dreams From My Father)

---sat twent years in Jeremiah Wrong's "church" listening to vitriol about whites and Jews.

---admired noted racist and and anitsemite Derek Bell.

---has links to the New Black Panther Party.

---was endorsed by Nation of Islam's Calypso Louie Farrakhan.

Hmmmmm. The original question still remains.Which Nelson Mandela did Chairman Obama congratulate ? Yoo-hoo! Lazy and arrogant mainstream media! Wanna take a crack at this question ? How about you, GOP-E cowards in the Romney campaign ?

Thursday, July 19, 2012

(Translation from Afrikaans to English: Why doesn't anyone care about the Afrikaner genocide in South Africa ?)

***

When the Apartheid system in South Africa fell apart in 1994, the world rightfully cheered. Apartheid was a vile, racist system that robbed men of their God-given individual rights. Apartheid was a big government system created by leftists that kept black Africans, Asians, and those of mixed race in a state of perpetual misery and poverty. To say that Apartheid was one of mankind's ugliest inventions, would be an understatement at very least.

Hey, why are you looking at me like that ? Oh, I get it. This sentence is making you uneasy:

Apartheid was a big government system created by leftists that kept black Africans, Asians, and those of mixed race in a state of perpetual misery and poverty.

That's correct, dear reader. Apartheid, much like segregation in the South, was a grotesque creation of leftists. As economist Thomas Hazlett wrote:

***

"The now-defunct apartheid system of South Africa presented a fascinating instance of interest-group competition for political advantage. In light of the extreme human rights abuses stemming from apartheid, it is remarkable that so little attention has been paid to the economic foundations of that torturous social structure. The conventional view is that apartheid was devised by affluent whites to suppress poor blacks. In fact, the system sprang from class warfare and was largely the creation of white workers struggling against both the black majority and white capitalists. Apartheid was born in the political victory of radical white trade unions over both of their rivals. In short, this cruelly oppressive economic system was socialism with a racist face."

Apartheid's origin comes from two places: Racism and the fears of tradesmen being replaced by black workers. (Kind of like the "American" unions of old, huh?) As professor Hazlett writes:

***

"The South African gold rush made the natural synergy between white-owned capital and abundant black labor overpowering. The gains from cooperation between eager British investors and thousands of African workers were sufficient to bridge gaping differences in language, customs, and geography. At first, however, the white capitalist could deal directly only with the few English and Afrikaner managers and foremen who shared his tongue and work habits. But the premium such workers commanded soon became an extravagance. Black workers were becoming capable of performing industrial leadership roles in far greater numbers and at far less cost. Driven by the profit motive, the substitution of black for white in skilled and semiskilled mining jobs rose high on the agenda of the mining companies.
White workers feared the large supply of African labor as the low-priced competition that it was. Hence, white tradesmen and government officials, including police, regularly harassed African workers to discourage them from traveling to the mines and competing for permanent positions. Beginning in the 1890s, the Chamber of Mines, a group of employers, complained regularly of this systematic discrimination and attempted to secure better treatment for black workers. Their gesture was neither altruistic nor founded on liberal beliefs. Indeed, the mine owners often resorted to racist measures themselves. But here they had a clear economic incentive: labor costs were minimized where rules were color-blind. This self-interest was so powerful that it led the chamber to finance the first lawsuits and political campaigns against segregationist legislation.
Nonetheless, the state instituted an array of legal impediments to the promotion of black workers. The notorious Pass Laws sought to sharply limit the supply of nonwhite workers in 'white' employment centers. Blacks were not allowed to become lawful citizens, to live permanently near their work, or to travel without government passports. This last restriction created a catch-22. If passports were issued only to those already possessing jobs, how was a nonwhite to get into the job area to procure a job so as to obtain a passport? Nonwhites also were prohibited from bringing their families while working in the mines (reinforcing the transient nature of employment).
Each restriction undercut the ability of blacks to fully establish themselves in the capitalist economy, and hence to compete with white workers on equal terms. Confined to temporary status, blacks were robbed of any realistic chance of building up the human capital to challenge their white bosses directly in the labor market.
Yet even on this decidedly unlevel playing field, the profit motive often found ways of matching white capitalists with black workers. Whites formed labor unions in the early 1900s to guard against this persistent tendency, and the South African Labour Party (SALP) was formed in 1908 to explicitly advance the interests of European workers. The SALP and the unions with which it allied, including the powerful Mine Workers’ Union, were all white and avowedly socialist; the British Labour Party formed the model for the SALP. These organizations opposed any degradation of 'European' or 'civilized' standards in the workplace, by which they meant the advancement of blacks willing to undercut white union pay scales."

From there came the "Colour Bar", from the "Colour Bar" came Apartheid in 1948 with the election of the National Party, which had thrown its hat in with scumbag socialists chanting "Workers of the world unite, and fight for a white South Africa!"

Over the years, Apartheid became less and less popular with most Afrikaners and other whites. (Just as Segregation became less and less popular with whites in the South as the years went by.) The economic boom of the 1960's made the "protections" of Apartheid unnecessary. By the end of the 1980's, most of it was gone. Finally in 1991, President FW de Klerk signed legislation that effectively ended Apartheid. Anti-Apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was released from prison and in the following election, Mandela's African National Congress (ANC) booted the Socialist National Party out of office and Mandela succeeded de Klerk as president of South Africa.

Again, let me be clear on this matter so there's no misunderstanding whatsoever: The end of Apartheid was one of mankind's better moments. But sadly, tyanny in South Africa didn't die with Apartheid. It simply changed its moniker. Instead of the racist socialists in the National Party running the show, the racist Marxist-Leninists of the ANC were running the show. In no time at all, communist-inspired black on white violence had spread throughout South Africa.

From Genocidewatch.org:

***

"The African National Congress has been South Africa’s governing party since the Presidency of Nelson Mandela 17 years ago, following the end of white minority rule and apartheid. In the years under apartheid, hate speech was used by both supporters and opponents of the apartheid system to stir up their followers. When racial tensions in South Africa ran high, the song 'Kill the Farmer, Shoot the Boer' was a revolutionary song of the anti-apartheid movement. However, it is an illustration of the long-term impact that such de-humanizing language can have.

After many years when such songs were no longer sung, in 2010, prominent members of the ANC Youth League, in particular Julius Malema, President of the ANC Youth League, openly sang the 'Shoot the Boer' song at ANC Youth League rallies. Not only did revival of the song strike fear into the hearts of Boer farmers, but it has actually been sung during attacks on white farmers. It is an incitement to murder white Afrikaner farmers.

Over 3000 white farmers have been murdered since 1994. The South African police have not made investigation and prosecution of these farm murders a priority, dismissing them as crimes by common criminals. The government has disbanded the commando units of white farmers that once protected their farms, and has passed laws to confiscate the farmers’ weapons. Disarmament of a targeted group is one of the surest early warning signs of future genocidal killings.

A recent outbreak of violent farm invasions has led to casualties among white South Africans. The farm invasions are direct results of calls by Julius Malema and his Deputy, Ronald Lamola for whites to give up their land without compensation, or face violence by angry black youths 'flooding their farms.'

In response to Julius Malema, the Freedom Front (FF) cited Section 16.2c of the South African Constitution, which restricts freedom of speech rights by excluding as unprotected speech 'advocacy of hatred based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion and incitement to cause harm.' The FF contended that Malema’s singing of the 'Shoot the Boer' song was hate speech and therefore a human rights violation. Acting Judge of the South Gauteng High Court, Leon Halgryn declared that the song is hate speech, and it is unconstitutional to either utter or sing 'dubul’ibhunu' ('shoot the Boer.') He issued an injunction against Malema, ordering him to no longer sing the song. The phrase is now considered hate speech.

Julius Malema was shortly thereafter removed as President of the ANC Youth League, and ejected from the ANC. However, Malema’s followers have defied the judgment and continue to sing the song. Even President Jacob Zuma sang 'Shoot the Boer' at the ANC Centenary Celebration event in January of 2012. He claimed that its use at the ANC Centenary was not intended as hate speech, but rather to commemorate the struggle against apartheid.

Despite President Zuma’s proclaimed intent, his singing of the song may be contributing to an increasingly hostile environment that threatens the safety of white South Africans. The number of murders of Boer farmers has increased each month in 2012.

For ten years, Genocide Watch has been the only international human rights group willing to declare an Alert about the high murder rate of Boer farmers, perhaps because it is not 'politically correct' to defend the rights of people who once supported apartheid. Genocide Watch is opposed to all forms of racism, from whatever the source. The President of Genocide Watch actively supported the anti-apartheid movement in constitutional consultations with the United Democratic Front when he was a Fulbright Professor of Law in Swaziland. He has visited South Africa several times since and will soon visit again."

(Translation from Afrikaans to English: Why doesn't anyone care about the Afrikaner genocide in South Africa ?)

Perhaps Genocidewatch is right and it's simply "politically incorrect" to defend those who supported Apartheid. The theory certainly has some merit, especially when you consider the fact that most journalists are leftist frauds, no matter what country they come from. There's one theory, and it has plenty of legs. But that's just half of the story.

The big reason that the dead-enders in the press are ignoring the Afrikaner-volksmoord in Suid-Afrika is the fact that it's a Marxist inspired genocide. From beginning to end, the above tale shows how leftism corrupts and destroys nations. This narrative doesn't agree with the liberal point of view that Marxism brings Utopia and thus it will be ignored.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

“I believe that education is the civil rights issue of our generation. And if you care about promoting opportunity and reducing inequality, the classroom is the place to start. Great teaching is about so much more than education; it is a daily fight for social justice.” ---Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

"We accept the view that in many domains, resources should be redistributed from rich nations and rich people to poor nations and poor people. Such redistribution might well increase aggregate social welfare because a dollar is worth more to a poor person than a wealthy one." ---UNELECTED "Regulatory Czar" Cass Sunstein (with Eric Posner) in 2008

"A legislative effort to regulate broadcasting in the interest of democratic principles should not be seen as an abridgment of the free speech guarantee."---UNELECTED "Regulatory Czar" Cass Sunstein, Democracy and the Problem of Free Speech, The Free Press, 1995, p. 92

***

"One thing that perhaps can be done about it is to say, well, we shouldn't really be originalists about the meaning of the Constitution. Maybe Judge Bork had wrong. Maybe we should think that the Constitution has a high degree of flexibility. Maybe it's a changing and living document. Now, under that conception of Constitutional interpretation, maybe we can have the ingredients of a new unitary executive idea." ---UNELECTED "Regulatory Czar" Cass Sunstein

"...listen, you've got the perfect storm building. You've got all the passion around Trayvon, and what a horrible injustice that was. And it turns out you can draw a direct line back to the Koch brothers, you can draw a direct line back to to mainstream corporations..."--- FORMER UNELECTED "Green Jobs Czar" Van Jones

"Well, the only reason that we have the unsustainable accounting that we have right now is because incinerators, dumping grounds, and sacrifice zones were put where poor people live. It would never have been allowed if you had to put all the incinerators and nasty stuff in rich people's neighborhoods; we'd have had a sustainable economy a long time ago. We'd have had a clean and green economy a long time ago. It's the environmental racism that allowed the powerful people in society to turn a blind eye for decades to the downsides of the industrial system that got us to this point. So there's a direct relationship between environmental racism and the lack of sustainability of society as a whole. We were the canaries in the coal mines, crying for relief. Now finally the consequences are affecting everyone, with global warming and everything else. The other thing is that the environmental justice agenda is also changing. Before, it was much stronger on demanding equal protection from environmental bad. Now we are also demanding equal opportunity and equal access to environmental good. We don't want to be first and worst with all the toxins and all the negative effects of global warming, and then benefit last and least from all the breakthroughs in solar, wind energy, organic food, all the positives. We want an equal share, an equitable share, of the work wealth and the benefits of the transition to a green economy." ---Former UNELECTED "Green Jobs Czar" Van Jones

"Of course, the freedom of the individual must be made compatible with the public interest and the freedom of other individuals.

Moreover, the intrinsic value of individual freedom falls short of being self-evident. For instance, it is not generally recognized in China where the interests of the collective take precedence over the interests of the individual. This was the clear message of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. It showed that by doing exactly what they are told at exactly the right time a large collection of individuals can produce a superb spectacle." ---Reichsfuherer $oros at Central European University

"The Constitution is no longer in line with our expectations regarding the role of the people in selecting the president. Yet several previous attempts to eliminate the Electoral College through a constitutional amendment have failed, scuttled by the difficulty of the process itself and the tyranny of small-state logic.

Fortunately, a constitutional amendment is not necessary. Rather than dismantling the Electoral College with an amendment, we can use the mechanisms of the Electoral College itself to guarantee popular election of the president.

To understand how the proposal works, one needs to understand two basic principles. First, that state legislatures are basically unfettered in how they choose to appoint electors. And second, that groups of states can enter into binding agreements with one another in the form of so-called interstate compacts. There are many examples of such compacts, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the interstate agreement that guarantees a driver points on a Virginia driver license when he or she speeds in Maryland.

Under the proposed National Popular Vote compact, state legislatures would agree to choose electors who promise to support the winner of the nationwide popular vote. For example, if a Republican were to win the overall national popular vote, even if New Yorkers favored the Democrat, New York's Electoral College votes would go to the Republican. The compact will go into force when states representing 271 Electoral College votes have entered into it to guarantee that the winner of the popular vote will become president." ---Jonathon $oros, Der Fuhrer's son

Sunday, July 8, 2012

(Emphasis added where appropriate. Snarky comments from me are in [brackets].)

***

Every American deserves to have a clean, safe and healthy environment. Today, we understand better than ever before that our health is not only dependent on what happens in the doctor’s office but is determined by the air we breathe, the water we drink and the communities we call home. Over the past two years, the Administration and our agency have taken unprecedented steps to ensure strong protection from environmental and health hazards for all Americans.

There’s nothing more important than health. When we live longer, healthier lives, we have more time to do our jobs, volunteer in our neighborhoods, play with our children, and watch our grandchildren grow up. Health is the foundation of our country’s prosperity. Healthy adults are more productive workers, healthy children are better students and healthy families can make bigger contributions to their communities. [How....Stalinist of her to say.]

In our Environmental Justice Strategy and Implementation Plan, you can find many programs that are already making a difference, such as the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Minority Worker Training Program. This program has awarded grants in more than 30 communities across the United States to recruit and train individuals who live in vulnerable communities at risk of exposure to contaminants for employment in the environmental field.

The Affordable Care Act, the health reform law of 2010, includes a new community transformation grant program that builds on the Economic Empowerment Zone model. By promoting healthy lifestyles, especially among population groups experiencing the greatest burden of chronic disease, these grants help improve health, reduce health disparities, and control health care spending. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made 61 awards, totaling approximately $103 million, to state and local government agencies, Tribes, and territories, and to non-profit organizations. Several awardees are planning to focus on expanding efforts to address healthy and safe physical environments. [And this is Constitutional how, Benedict Roberts ? This isn't a tax, it's social engineering.]

With the release of our Strategy and Implementation Plan, we are renewing our commitment to working with our Federal partners to promote environmental justice. Equally important, we are reaffirming our commitment to work with communities who are eager to get involved in this effort. We look forward to this collaboration as we continue to focus on building safe and healthy communities. ["I have a bad feeling about this!"--Han Solo]

Kathleen Sebelius
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services"

Before we continue, I think we should review exactly what "environmental justice" actually is.
Here's the official Federal Leviathan version:

***

"Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies'. Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-income Populations requires each Federal agency to 'make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations.' The Executive Order also states that 'each Federal agency responsibility set forth under this order shall apply equally to Native American programs.' "

No, that didn't make any sense to me, either. Let's ask the expert, Van Jones.

Heywaitaminute! Van Jones ? Isn't he---

That's right. That's the same Van Jones that Glenn Beck outed as a commie, and that's the same Van Jones who used to be Chairman Obama's "Green Jobs Czar" until he was quietly fired on a moonlit Friday night.

***

"Mother Jones: Can you briefly explain what 'environmental justice' means to you?

Van Jones: Environmental justice is the movement to ensure that no community suffers disproportionate environmental burdens or goes without enjoying fair environmental benefits."

Vannie, Vannie, Vannie. You're holding out on us! Let's try that again, but this time, give us that old, tired commie pinko self-righteous victim rhetoric:

***

"MJ: What's the relationship between environmental justice and sustainability ?

VJ: Well, the only reason that we have the unsustainable accounting that we have right now is because incinerators, dumping grounds, and sacrifice zones were put where poor people live. It would never have been allowed if you had to put all the incinerators and nasty stuff in rich people's neighborhoods; we'd have had a sustainable economy a long time ago. We'd have had a clean and green economy a long time ago. It's the environmental racism that allowed the powerful people in society to turn a blind eye for decades to the downsides of the industrial system that got us to this point. So there's a direct relationship between environmental racism and the lack of sustainability of society as a whole. We were the canaries in the coal mines, crying for relief. Now finally the consequences are affecting everyone, with global warming and everything else. The other thing is that the environmental justice agenda is also changing. Before, it was much stronger on demanding equal protection from environmental bad. Now we are also demanding equal opportunity and equal access to environmental good. We don't want to be first and worst with all the toxins and all the negative effects of global warming, and then benefit last and least from all the breakthroughs in solar, wind energy, organic food, all the positives. We want an equal share, an equitable share, of the work wealth and the benefits of the transition to a green economy."

All kidding aside, this is some pretty serious stuff. What exactly does Frau Sebelius' plan entail ?

***

"To update the 1995 HHS EJ Strategy, HHS created an Environmental Justice Strategic Planning Committee, composed of representatives from agencies and offices across HHS. The Committee reviewed past and current environmental justice programs and accomplishments to glean lessons learned and build upon successful strategies and activities. HHS also engaged multiple stakeholders during the strategic planning process in order to hear community and other stakeholder concerns, discuss best practices and model programs, and learn about ongoing and emerging environmental justice issues impacting Americans.

The 2012 HHS EJ Strategy provides direction for HHS efforts to achieve environmental justice as part of its mission by: (1) identifying and addressing disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects on low-income populations and Indian Tribes, and (2) encouraging the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of affected parties with the goal of building healthy, resilient communities and reducing disparities in health and well-being associated with environmental factors. Driven by public input and HHS support, the strategy maintains the following three guiding principles:

Create and implement meaningful public partnerships

Ensure interagency and intra-agency coordination

Establish and implement accountability measures

On the basis of the guiding principles, the 2012 HHS EJ Strategy is organized into four strategic elements; (1) Policy Development and Dissemination, (2) Education and Training, (3) Research and Data Collection, Analysis, and Utilization, and (4) Services. The 2012 HHS EJ Strategy reflects new and ongoing actions that are underway or planned for the near term. Each strategic element is aligned with targeted goals, strategies, and actions to be undertaken by HHS. The heightened coordination within and outside of HHS and the engagement of communities and other stakeholders will facilitate the implementation of the 2012 HHS EJ Strategy and support the realization of the vision."

Well, isn't that just ducky ? What will the aktion--er, uh, plan look like ?

(Emphasis added where appropriate. Snarky comments are in [brackets].)

***

"Strategic Element I: Policy Development and Dissemination

Goals

Strengthen the application of health and environmental statutes and policies in minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes.

Identify and address, as appropriate, human health or environmental effects of HHS programs, policies, and activities on minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes.

Support and advance a 'health in all policies' approach that protects and promotes the health and well-being of minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes with disproportionately high and adverse environmental exposures.

Strategies

Integrate environmental justice principles and strategies into the implementation of key statutes and policies that may impact minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes.

Incorporate environmental justice principles and strategies into consideration of emerging issues that may disproportionately impact minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes.

Provide consultation and/or partner with other Federal departments, where appropriate and feasible, on environmental policies, programs and initiatives that may impact health and well-being, with particular attention to minority and low-income populations and Indian Tribes.

Strategic Element II: Education and Training

Goals

Educate communities, workers, the general public, health professionals, human services providers and the HHS workforce about environmental justice and environmental health to empower them to actively participate in the development and implementation of programs, policies and activities impacting and serving minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes with disproportionately high and adverse environmental exposures. [In layman's terms, this means propaganda.]

Build a health workforce prepared to prevent and diagnose conditions associated with disproportionately high and adverse environmental exposures and to provide high quality, culturally competent care. [????]

Strategies

Educate the public, especially in communities with minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes with disproportionately high and adverse environmental exposures, about environmental justice, environmental hazards, and healthy community environments. [Again, this means more propaganada.]

Increase the knowledge and understanding of health and environmental justice across HHS agencies and among HHS employees.

Strategic Element III: Research and Data Collection, Analysis, and Utilization

Goals

Strengthen research and advance data collection on the health and environment of minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes.

Empower the public to participate in the development and implementation of HHS policies, programs, and interventions by improving access to data and research findings on the risks of adverse environmental exposures.

Strategies

Increase the involvement of minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes with disproportionately high and adverse environmental exposures in research and in data collection and utilization, and communicate findings to stakeholders.

Identify and characterize environmental and occupational factors that have disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes.

Bolster the efforts of HHS, state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations, to collect, maintain, and analyze data on disproportionately high and adverse environmental and occupational exposures and on health effects in minority and low-income populations and Indian Tribes.

Strategic Element IV: Services

Goals

Improve access to and quality of care and services for minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes with disproportionately high and adverse environmental exposures.

Advance the economic potential and social well-being of minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes with disproportionately high and adverse environmental exposures.

Strategies

Increase the capacity of health professionals delivering care and services to minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes with disproportionately high and adverse environmental exposures to prevent, diagnose, and treat medical and behavioral health conditions associated with adverse environmental exposures.

Identify minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes with disproportionately high and adverse environmental exposures, as well as the physical and behavioral health conditions and concerns of communities affected by these exposures.

Provide technical assistance and information resources to minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes with disproportionately high and adverse environmental exposures in order to empower communities to address identified health and human services needs.

Provide funding opportunities and technical assistance to advance the economic potential and social well-being of minority and low-income populations and Indian tribes with disproportionately high and adverse environmental exposures."